Basking and Brooding
by Kalira69
Summary: One of the things that Minato has always loved best about Orochimaru is seeing his care for his son. (Brood: intransitive verb, 1a: to hover over or protect developing young) (magical realism AU)


Written for Naruto Rare Pair Bingo 2019, for the space 'Magical Realism' on board A.

I always forget that term is for this genre, even though I write it often. . .

The manner of magic or creature bloodline possessed by each character featured may be implied in-story, but is also listed in the end notes.

* * *

"Hello, darling."

Minato grinned as he heard his husband's greeting, and the happy wordless yip Kakashi gave in answer. Minato closed the door and absently activated the wards as he slid the bolt across before making his way into the living room. He took a deeper breath as he realised he could smell something cooking for dinner as well as something bittersweet an unidentifiable that made his nose tingle. Some process of his husband's magic, no doubt.

Kakashi was sprawled with his front half across Orochimaru's lap, tail wagging and head nudging eagerly up under his palm as he gently rubbed behind the perked ears and stroked down Kakashi's back.

"Tadaima." Minato said with a smile, and Orochimaru looked up, golden eyes warm.

"Okaeri." Orochimaru tilted his head and Minato accepted the invitation swiftly, settling on the couch on Orochimaru's other side. He leaned in and hummed as he claimed a soft kiss, making Orochimaru smile.

Kakashi whined, and then barked softly as they both looked down at him. He climbed to his paws once more and shook himself, then stretched and curled up more solidly in Orochimaru's lap, snug against his body. Orochimaru looked down at him with a soft, broody expression, stroking his fluffy fur and wrapping an arm around him as though to cradle him nearer still.

Minato felt a little twinge of warmth himself, leaning closer to his husband and resting his chin on Orochimaru's shoulder, curling an arm around his back. Orochimaru shifted, folding one long leg up closer and leaning into Minato in return with a sigh. He kissed his husband's cheek.

"How was your day with your students?" Orochimaru asked quietly, slanting a curious look at him.

Minato smiled reflexively, fondness blooming at the thought of his little class. "It was good." he said. "Rin is still stubbornly sure she can get a grip on the type of music that can bring my people to their knees," he paused, lips twitching; disapproval was the _least_ of what his grandfather would have if he knew Minato was teaching a mostly-human girl such things, "and making not at all poor progress, I knew she could do it if she truly wished to bend her focus to it; Obito . . . wishes to join the Hunt." He smothered a sigh.

Kakashi lifted his head and curled his lip, huffing. Minato reached out and brushed a hand over his head and down towards his neck, folding one ear down briefly under Minato's palm. "Yes, yes, he's too human to do it safely."

Although he would likely never admit that; particularly not given his stubborn and lasting competition with Kakashi, who, with his father's wolf blood, had been able to hear the call of the Wild Hunt his whole life. Though he carried Orochimaru's blood as well, granting him a little more vicious independence from the deep pull of the hunting pack that ran at the whim of the Fae Courts. He was grateful for that, for Kakashi's freedom from both it and those fae who rode in the Hunt, who tended to be . . . acquisitive.

Minato felt no sympathy for any fae who might try to collar Kakashi for their kennels - were any to try he would gut them himself, with a smile, given the chance, and call the sun magic he was so known for among his own people to make what it would of their bodies - but it would not be a pretty sight.

Wolves might sometimes choose to bow their heads and run with another's will, but no one commanded a child of Sheshanaga, and Kakashi was very much Orochimaru's son.

"And _you_ are yet too young." Orochimaru said lightly, stroking down Kakashi's spine.

Kakashi snorted and shifted his head, lying his jaw across Minato's arm with a careless flick of his ear. He might argue that he was not too young for anything he wished to do - he certainly had been arguing such for so long as he had been Minato's student, long before Minato had become his stepfather - but from his reactions to the frequent discussions Obito began, he also had no care to join the Hunt himself, whether under his own will or not. It eased Minato's mind a little, in honesty.

"How was your day, love?" Minato asked when nothing more was forthcoming from Kakashi, tucking his hand against Orochimaru's stomach without dislodging Kakashi's head from where it was growing heavy on his forearm.

Orochimaru shrugged fluidly. "A new and interesting problem was brought to me." he said with a satisfied smile.

Minato grinned. There was perhaps nothing his husband loved more than a tricky problem, unless it was a new piece of magic. And when he was commissioned for the former it often led to the latter. "Oh?" Minato questioned, meeting Orochimaru's eyes.

"A phoenix who wishes his mate to have a protection in place against the chance of witnessing one of his burning days, so as not to risk any harm befalling the one he loves best." Orochimaru supplied, humming. Minato blinked, shuddering at the thought of the complexities that would surely involve. Orochimaru was more than a good choice to bring the issue to, however - he'd done _something_ to himself so flames all but sloughed off him, above and beyond his peoples' natural resilience to them, which was nothing to sneeze at on its own. "I've done some work with phoenices before, but this is a new one."

Kakashi wriggled and pushed his muzzle against Orochimaru's belly, receiving an idle pat as he continued to speak about the problem. Minato, his husband in his arms, was more than happy to listen and watch as he spoke on the topic that so fascinated him, lips curved in a delighted smile and eyes warm and sparking with interest.

Orochimaru was always attractive, but it was particularly obvious when he was wound up in the work that was also his passion. Though even to Minato, who had never shared the fascination of many of his people to 'exotic creatures' or even their heightened power, it paled to the beauty - if a . . . somewhat intimidating one - of his true form.

"Do phoenices 'bond' as such?" Minato asked curiously; they weren't common and he'd never had cause to learn too much about them in the personal sense. "Would that not make it easier?"

"Easier to restrict it to one single cause, easier were it bound to the power of a creature already holding a bond with the one to carry the protection." Orochimaru agreed, nodding. "There is not a formalised mate bond, however, which does again make it trickier - were there, it would provide at least a framework to specify the protective boundaries I will need to establish."

Minato hummed understanding, and Orochimaru shifted in his embrace, dislodging Kakashi's head from Minato's arm for a moment as he slid against Orochimaru. Kakashi grumbled and let his head flop right back where it had been.

"Easier too to provide a protection against a flame the purpose of which is _not_ destruction or harm." Orochimaru murmured, voice low. "I may need to actually _observe_ a burning day for a proper examination, I am beginning from so much guesswork."

"Complicates things." Minato observed, biting back the spark of concern at the thought; Orochimaru would be fine, he was sure. He always took precautions with his work, and hadn't Minato just been considering how impressive his work with magical protections against flames was?

Orochimaru sighed. "True." His lips quirked. "Still, were it easy, it would hardly be worth doing, yes?"

Minato laughed at that, but inclined his head.

"Come, little one, time for dinner." Orochimaru said, gently nudging Kakashi, who appeared to be dozing off, and shaking his head.

Kakashi lifted his head slowly, then yawned, legs stretching out and toes splaying. Orochimaru tugged one of his ears lightly. Kakashi huffed, then shuddered and melted back into his human shape, still flopped across Orochimaru's lap and almost leaning into Minato's.

"Dinner, then bath and an early sleep, I think." Minato suggested, unwinding his arm from around his husband and ruffling Kakashi's hair as he rose from the couch. "It was a tiring day."

Kakashi sighed, but nodded. "Yes, Sensei-tou." he agreed, and leaned against Orochimaru for a moment longer before slipping out of his lap. Minato was used to the address now, it was far from new, but his heart still warmed at the casual warmth from the step-son he had easily taken to his heart as his own child.

Orochimaru smiled and rose with a graceful stretch. "You shall have to tell me what you learned today over dinner." he said as he ran his fingers through Kakashi's hair, eyes still on Minato. Then he ushered them both ahead of him towards the kitchen. "Kakashi, would you check the soup please?"

"Yes Mama!" Kakashi agreed, trotting into the kitchen.

Orochimaru pulled Minato back just at the doorway and kissed him softly, warm and melting. Minato startled at the caress, then moaned quietly, wrapping his arms around his husband in turn and leaning into Orochimaru's embrace.

Orochimaru hummed as he pulled away slowly, sharp mouth gentled with a warm smile. He raised one hand and caressed Minato's face, and he leaned into it with a smile of his own.

"I think perhaps . . . there is something else we might discuss, after Kakashi is in bed." Orochimaru said softly.

Minato hummed curiously, raising his eyebrows, though willing enough, whatever it was.

Orochimaru's gaze flicked through the door towards Kakashi, then back to meet Minato's. "Sensei-_tou_?" he quoted, voice low, and Minato's breath caught at the emphasis.

"You might want. . ." he began, then stopped, both not wishing to guess too boldly and aware, as Orochimaru had suggested, that such a discussion would best be begun out of Kakashi's earshot.

Orochimaru smiled slightly, the warm look Minato had long associated with Kakashi - the first thing that had let him see beyond Orochimaru's strength and rather alarming manner to something more personal; the first thing that had attracted him to his husband - coming back to his features. "I . . . would consider." he confirmed. "I," he paused, pressing his lips together, "wanted for Kakashi to have a sibling, once. Wanted another hatchling." he admitted quietly.

Minato's breath caught again, his heart tightening. He couldn't quite quash his grin, however, and Orochimaru laughed at him softly, giving him another fleeting kiss. Minato returned it, caring absolutely not at all about his reaction being the source of his husband's amusement.

"Soup is done and so's the bread, Mama!" Kakashi called, approaching them again. He grabbed Minato's shirt and tugged. "_Really?_" he added, with the exasperation of any child at their parents sharing affection.

Minato laughed and ruffled his hair again, then pointedly stole another kiss from Orochimaru before moving away. Kakashi rolled his eyes and Orochimaru laughed as well, even as they moved into the kitchen.

* * *

**Omake:**

Obito grinned as the sparkling colours faded away - a new trick he had admittedly made himself a pest to his cousin over until he had shared it, but the bright range of colours and harmless sparks with little heat were . . . fun. And he had suspected-

"That was so pretty!" Rin said with a smile, and Obito bounced a little on his heels. He suspected it was a fae trick originally - he also suspected his cousin's partner, beautifully androgynous and with a rather alarming sense about them, was a fae, but he hadn't asked. It was not quite the kind of trick their sensei taught them, either, though he more than willingly shared fae magic with them, such things as they might learn, anyway.

A flicker at the corner of his eye and Obito jumped, nearly tripping as he whirled to see their sensei appear under a nearby stand of trees that glimmered with fairies dancing among the leaves. He had a baby in his arms. Obito stared.

"Sensei-tou!" Kakashi greeted, hopping to his feet and moving to meet Minato-sensei as he approached them. Kakashi held up his arms and Obito stared as Minato smiled and gently passed the baby to him, ruffling his hair.

"Hello sensei!" Rin called, moving past Obito to get a little closer. "Is this. . ."

"Katsu, my son." Minato-sensei said proudly, eyes falling to the baby Kakashi was holding. Obito eyed them warily, but-

But Kakashi cradled the baby up closer, with what looked like a soft _smile_ showing under his mask, nuzzling the baby's stark black hair as he squirmed. One little hand stretched up, bumping into Kakashi's face and then catching hold of his hair, pulling roughly.

Kakashi didn't so much as twitch, crooning to the baby and rocking him.

"_So cute!_" Rin breathed, clasping her hands together as Obito dragged his gaze away from Kakashi to look at her.

Kakashi gave a huffy little noise that was, at least, familiar, but his face was still cast in a gentle expression, his eyes on the baby's face.

"I hope you don't mind Katsu coming along with me today," Minato-sensei said, brushing his hand over his son's head, "it shouldn't curtail my planned trip for today's lesson too much."

"Of course not, sensei!" Rin said cheerfully, and Obito shook his head.

"No, of course not." he agreed, though his eyes tracked back to Kakashi again. He was still. . . It was _Kakashi_. Coddling a _baby_.

"Kakashi, would you care to pass him back to me so we can go?" Minato-sensei asked, and Kakashi huffed again, cuddling the baby closer.

"I've got him." Kakashi said, and kissed his brow. Obito blinked. The baby squirmed, twisting back and forth, and Kakashi bounced him gently.

Minato hummed, smiling. "Very well. Let me know if you get tired, please." he said, resting his hand on Kakashi's head.

Kakashi sniffed, but nodded.

Minato beckoned Rin and Obito closer, and Obito stayed behind her as she edged right up to Kakashi, peering at the baby, but craned his neck to look around her. He startled as the baby turned a curious gaze up at them. Blue eyes like sensei, but with slit pupils like a cat. Obito looked up at Minato-sensei, then back down at the baby. Slit pupils, like Kakashi's mother, of course, but . . . it was still strange to see.

"Ready to go?" Minato-sensei asked, startling them all - even Kakashi, who twitched, grip tightening around the baby, before he nodded. Rin agreed swiftly and Obito nodded as well, eyeing Kakashi and the baby before looking up at Minato sensei, wondering eagerly what their lesson for today would be.

Minato-sensei gathered them all near, then opened a Door into the Underground, and Obito's eyes widened, his heartrate kicking up with nervous anticipation as Minato-sensei guided them through it, smiling at their reactions.

* * *

Minato is (part) fae. Orochimaru is a naga (thus the reference to Sheshanaga, power of creation and king of all naga). Kakashi is a hybrid, naturally, but takes more openly after Sakumo, who was of course a wolf shifter. Obito, as all Uchiha, is mainly human but descended from the mixing of a number of different kinds of fire spirits, fire elementals, phoenices, etc. with humans. Rin is human with a few light strains of other creatures, but nothing that came through enough to call her anything else.


End file.
